Meall an Fheuraich

The walk up Meall an Fheuraich isn't about altitude bragging rights - it's 572 metres of straightforward hill that gives you proper views over Loch Awe without the knee-battering slog you'd endure on the bigger peaks nearby. Starting from near Taynuilt, you're looking at a couple of hours up and down, which means families with reasonably fit kids can actually manage it without complaint.

The summit itself is unremarkable - a cairn and a lot of heather, mostly. But that's when you turn around. The loch spreads below you in that particular Highland grey-blue, Argyll's hills stack up in the distance, and on a clear day you can see far enough to make the effort feel worthwhile. It's the sort of walk where the view justifies itself halfway through, not at the finish line.

Don't come expecting dramatics or technical scrambling. This is a proper walkers' hill - boots advisable, map essential because the descent can be confusing in cloud. Allow three hours if you're moving steadily and want ten minutes at the top to actually look at something other than your feet.

If you're based at Loch Awe Holiday Park down the road, this works brilliantly as a morning walk before heading somewhere else. It's close enough that you won't spend your whole day driving, but far enough that you'll feel like you've actually been somewhere by lunchtime.